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Shepard ain't white: Playing with race and gender in Mass Effect
By Lesley | June 21, 2011
Back when I used to play the MMOs, the game characters I created always tended to look the same — pale-skinned, vibrant-haired, brightly-hued eyes. I am not sure why; I assume it was aspirational. However, when EverQuest 2 rolled around, I went a different way and impulsively created a heavy-set female-identifying character who was also dark-skinned with a gleaming mane of silver hair. She stood out in a crowd like a brightly-spangled circus pony in a sea of cattle. It occurred to me then that although my ability to change games culture as a monolithic juggernaut was limited, I could at least help reshape the visual landscape to be less uniformly white and conventionally "pretty".
Some games even outside the MMO sphere have since taken the extreme character customization route. The Mass Effect series is one such example. Players can specify their own Commander Shepard's gender and physical appearance with some precision, and even, to a degree, her politics and identity. My Commander Shepard is impatient, impulsive, committed to social justice, a survivor, and a queer woman of color. The character I impose on the game avatar is multiracial, which is likely to be the norm by the year 2183 when Mass Effect takes place, although that's not why I did it. I did it because I don't see queer women of color as protagonists very often, not in video games, but not anywhere else in media either.
Fans of Lady Shepard often talk about how jarring it is to see Mass Effect promotional materials showing the default male character instead. And it is! The lady version of the character is so memorable and feels such a natural part of the story (thanks in no small part to Jennifer Hale's fantastic voice acting) that watching a trailer only to see some dudeish lunkhead come barrelling onscreen is bewildering. Who is that guy? Where's Shepard? Shepard's not male! Some 80% of players choose the male version of the character, so of course he's going to get the marketing spotlight (although this will be changing soon).
On the other hand, how many big-budget games depict a woman of color as the protagonist? I tried to research this and beyond the obvious (Mirror's Edge, the Portals) the results were too depressingly slim even to report. No matter Shepard's skin tone, the Mass Effect series does a lot with race and racism/xenophobia within its narrative, some of it under the radar, some of it overt. The first game features a team member named Ashley, a human who is at best suspicious of aliens and at worst openly bigoted. I know lots of folks have love for Ashley, and to be fair, she represents a more realistic human response to a galaxy in which we are forced to work with often-condescending aliens for the good of all. But I don't play games for realism. I could not get rid of Ashley and her offensive comments quickly enough. (I am so juvenile, in fact, that I refer to her as "Ass-ley". If I'd kept her alive, I imagine her character would have eventually arced in favor of alien acceptance, but I was not down with listening to her alien-bash that long.)
There are also lots of other examples in Mass Effect of human-alien tension and prejudice, interactions that criticize racism and human nature with a thin veneer of sci-fi narrative over top. These examples are vivid and apt in light of current discourse around immigration policies and the offensive laws being debated and passed in the American Southwest; as much as Mass Effect is about civilization-destroying monsters of unimaginable power, it is also about us, as humans, and how our inclinations toward distrust and bias affect our ability to make sound decisions, and to see circumstances as clearly as we might. Though the Mass Effect series features an individual savior — Commander Shepard — it is also about serving a greater purpose, and about sacrificing the individual for the good of the many. It is complex on all these points, and that is a whole other post of analysis.
This post, however, is about my Shepard.
I have spent the past several weeks replaying the first two games of the Mass Effect series with a new character, the version described in the opening paragraphs above, and the experience has been far more educational than I expected, leading me to do a lot of personal analysis of my expectations of characters and my own internalized prejudices and privileges. These games were not written specifically with a woman, much less a woman of color, as the protagonist. At best they were written to be gender- and race-neutral, or at minimum they were written as the cultural default (i.e., white and male). Either way, the story lacks the encoded racism directed at characters of color in even the best of media representations.
When Brown Lady Shepard is rude, or curt, or dismissive, the reactions she receives from others are not to her gender or her race, but to her words. Why? Because the character was written with the expectation that most people will play it as a white dude, a character for whom reactions based on gender or race are inconceivable. He's "normal", y'see. In real life, and in most media representation, we are culturally conditioned to respond differently to a big ol' white dude with no manners than we do a woman of color doing the exact same thing. The white dude is just a jerk, but there's often a built-in extra rage factor against the woman of color, for daring to be "uppity", for failing to know her place. This distinction is often unconscious and unrecognized, but it's there. In Mass Effect, no matter what my Shepard says or does, not only is the dialogue the same as it would be for the cultural "default", but the reaction from the other non-player characters is the same. (The only exception to this is the handful of times that Lady Shepard is called a "bitch" — I suppose Dude Shepard may get called a bitch too, but I doubt it. I find it fascinating that they would record specific name-calling dialogue in this way.) Brown Lady Shepard waves her intimidation up in a dude's face and he backs the fuck down, just like he would if she were a hyper-privileged white guy. My Lady Shepard faces no additional pressure to prove herself because of her background; if she is dismissed, it's on the basis of her assertions, and not because she's a queer woman of color from a poor socioeconomic background — even though that's exactly what she is.
I am not surprised real-life dudes don't play as Lady Shepard.* Her character accomplishes something truly revolutionary, though whether it was intentional or not I cannot say. The most radical thing about Lady Shepard is that she does not exist for the enjoyment of heterosexual men. There have been plenty of female game characters who are fun to play and relate to for members of all genders — Lara Croft has her appeal, certainly; and you all know how I feel about Bayonetta. But these are females who are relatable and likeable to many women-identified people in spite of also adhering to those outrageous physical characteristics that appeal so strongly to your typical dude gamer; some women-identifying gamers ignore them, and some like them, but the truth is that they are there for dudes to ogle. Lady Shepard does not have a giant rack; she doesn't shriek or prance. Lady Shepard carries herself like a soldier, reproducing Dude Shepard's businesslike movements and stride, step for step — which is understandable, because the actual animations used for both are exactly the same.
Because Shepard spends most of her time running around and laying waste to her enemies while wearing armor, the use of one set of animations for both male and female characters really only becomes apparent in two circumstances. The first is when Shepard dances. Yes, Shepard can dance at some of the clubs, for a few seconds, and for the most part she does a decidedly unfeminine (but adorable) Dude Shuffle, punctuated with the occasional fist pump. The second is when Lady Shepard is dressed in "casual" clothing, specifically a sleek black dress used in "Kasumi – Stolen Memory", a DLC mission. Lady Shepard strides around a cocktail party with purpose and comes across, unsurprisingly, like a butch in a dress: she seems uncomfortable and out of place. I found her wide-legged lurching hilarious, charming, and quite appropriate, as Shepard the character would not have much reason to wear a dress, nor would I expect her to relish doing so even in the interest of her mission. Butch dress-wearin' Shepard really bothered a lot of players, many of whom are lobbying for more ladylike Shepard animations in Mass Effect 3. But if there is a problem with Shepard marching around in her dress, I'd argue this discrepancy does not call for a less-butch Shepard; it calls for no fucking dress. Put her in a hot futuristic tuxedo, or something. The lady does not need to wear a dress in order to be an effective leader. I'm just saying.
Further, Lady Shepard's sexuality is treated as a normal but ultimately secondary trait. She has the ability to flirt with and even engage in romantic relationships with members of her crew, but she doesn't have to do so. She is neither oversexed nor frigid. When Lady Shepard gets fall-down drunk at Dark Star on the Citadel, and comes to on her hands and knees on the men's room floor, a turian taking a leak in the urinal nearby, there is no judgement, no cautionary-tale morality to the scene. There is no sexual component at all, no harassment, no threat of assault. Shepard just gets up off the floor and goes back about her business (or back to the bar, if I'm playing, because I find the whole getting-Shepard-drunk sequence hilarious — I told you I was juvenile). How many dramatic representations do we regularly see involving a woman and drunkenness that don't also suggest something about her sexual availability?
No one ever blames Shepard's moods on PMS and no one ever asks if she's on the rag, no matter how much of an asshole she is. No one ever suggests that Shepard is unhappy or excessively driven because she has not known the miracle of child-rearing and therefore her life is oh-so-empty. In a firefight, no one tries to protect Shepard from the violence, and afterward, when Shepard picks up a crate full of spoils, no one asks if she needs help with that. Thugs do not spare her feelings, nor do they fail to take her threats seriously. When other aliens accuse her of being overemotional, it's framed as a human failing, not a female one, and when they call her crazy, it's because she is actually doing some mad shit, and not because she's just some silly unbalanced female.
In almost any other storytelling medium, my Shepard's ladyness and brownness would be critical plot points. Her superiors would belittle her and dismiss her because of these characteristics, and Shepard's ultimate success would be a tale of strength through adversity and overcoming oppressive odds, not because she has managed to save the galaxy from certain doom, but because she dared to do so as a woman of color. We like to fetishize racism and sexism in our popular stories; they make convenient conflicts and obstacles for a compelling narrative without having to get too imaginative. Of course the brown lady is going to be downtrodden, and with effort and persistence and strength of character, she will rise up against her oppressors! While this is an important story to tell, it's also extraordinary to see a story told in which Shepard's place is the same no matter her gender or race; in which no one ever suggests Shepard got where she is only because of affirmative action; in which no one ever smacks her on the ass and calls her "baby"; in other words, a story in which we are not constantly reminded that Shepard shouldn't be able to do what she has done. We don't need Lady Shepard to verbally eviscerate a racist or punch an ass-grabber in the face to know she's tough. We know she's tough by her non-explicitly-gendered actions — the same way we know Dude Shepard is tough.
Throughout the second game in the series, Shepard is referred to as "the human" who saved the galaxy from the first wave of a continuing threat in the first game. Not the man or the woman, but "the human." Even though functionally this means less additional voicework to accommodate a male or female character, it's apt in a world that breaks beings down by alien race first, and all the rest of our small species distinctions fall in line. What does our quaint reliance on binary gender, and our social connotations associated with same, matter to a salarian or a turian?** They don't share our narrow context. As Kelly Chambers, Shepard's personal assistant, muses at one point, our character should be what is most important in how we relate to one another, not our race or gender. Intentionally or no, Mass Effect makes a convincing case for a culture in which this could one day be true.
* Edited to add: I based this on BioWare's oft-mentioned 80% statistic — I am aware that lots of dudes do play as Lady Shepard! I know many of you! My language here was super-generalizing based on numbers, and I probably ought to have been more specific, so my apologies to any dudes who were all BUT WAIT I LOVE LADY SHEPARD!
** Excepting one particular turian. Eee.
64 Comments
Fantastic post. The Spouse plays Mass Effect and I watch the game like a movie. To see a woman, any woman, as the main character (without her being a Lara Croft or Alice type) would be amazing. This might get me to play Mass Effect…I prefer Ratchet and Clank, myself.
Have you seen this?
It made my daughter, the Serious Gamer, squee with delight. The comment from Shepard at the very end is awesome.
I love the end of that video so. Much.
That said, one of the things that I loved about playing a female Shepard over and over and over again was the fact that her sexuality isn't ignored; she does have to deal with jackasses who think they can talk down to her or dismiss her because she's a woman (Harkin in Me1 and the Batarian recruiter on Omega in ME2 spring to mind; there's also the Turian in Samara's loyalty mission.) She's given the opportunity to deal with it in a way that doesn't paint her as a "bitch" or diminish her character at all. (If you haven't played Dragon Age: Origins, you might want to give it a try; that game addresses gender, racial, and class stereotypes in a way I found very satisfying. Plus, it's awesome.)
I also found playing as FemShep to be an empowering experience. Although she can be kind of doormattish in some situations if you're playing full Paragon, she's never self effacing. She's never weak. She doesn't apologize for being who she is and doing what she has to do. When I played Dragon Age 2, I walked away from my Lady Hawke feeling frustrated because I realized I had made many choices in the game based on what is considered "appropriate" behavior for a woman- soft, peacemaking, appeasing decisions. While that led me to consider my behavior in real life, it wasn't exactly satisfying! I walk away from a ME session feeling like a badass.
Casey Hudson has stated that they are doing more gender specific mo-cap for ME3, so hopefully they don't have my Femshep sashaying around the armory or crossing her legs when she sits.
As far as Ash goes, I let her live the one time I played as Broshep- which also happened to be a renegade playthrough. Her attitudes change in response to her conversations with Shep, and since my Shep was a complete ass, she actually became more xenophobic. By the end of the game their interactions and relationship literally turned my stomach.
Would Chell from Portal be a big-budget game woman of color protagonist? I've always liked her as one of the best woman protagonists, and I'm interested to know your thoughts.
I played as a black male Shepard who looked more like Don Cheadle than an action hero, and I made a lot of the same observations, absent the obvious gender aspect. I found it really rewarding and immersive to play as a fairly regular-looking guy instead of some stock photo meathead or, god forbid, the default Shepard. Aside from Jim Raynor I don't think there's a more boring milquetoast protagonist around right now, as far as video game heroes go.
I really love your style of blogging. And yes, I agree, I can't wait for the change. I was never too bothered by the fact they kept using the Male Shephard, but I played Dragon Age, and in the release of the second game, they focused on a Male main character again. That's sort of what started to itch at the back of my head. It's not too much a bother, but I felt they weren't really advertising the custom character, or giving the message that the female versions just weren't important enough. :<
I also kind of loved the way Shepard seems totally out of place in a dress. But not self-conscious or insecure about it, just "hey, I'm walkin' here. And I guess I have a dress on for some reason."
I'm kind of apprehensive to hear that they're going for gender specific movements in 3. That seems like it could turn out poorly.
I suddenly wish I were playing this game right now. I never did try it on Insanity level…obviously I should go back!
I loved this post. Loved it to pieces. I too always appreciated that the standing/walking animations for bro!Shep and fem!Shep were the same. I fell into a deep pit of rage when, during the course of playing Dragon Age 2, I noticed that the developers gave fem!Hawke this ridiculous, mincing, "girl"y walk that the bro!Hawke didn't have. It seemed so unfair, because my Hawke was the fiercest, baddest lady on the block. She'd just as soon tackle you and look at you.
By the way – I run a tumblr called Chell Isn't White. Would you be interested in posting this post there, or do you have a tumblr I could reblog it from?
My Shep beat the heck out of the Turian in the VIP room in afterlife… maybe it was the renegade option? What bothered me was this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXMPxKWjfvo
Say if you hypothetically were able to get into your save file and hypothetically alter it so that the Conrad Verner dialogue wasn't glitched, than this is what you would get if you finished Conrad's mission with the paragon path.
THAT infuriated me. My femshep would have knocked that asari on her ass. Instead, the renegade option has Shep saying, "I give one free pass." Since when?!
This is an absolutely wonderful article. Thank you so much for posting this.
One thing that caught my attention was your note that some people are calling for more ladylike animations in Mass Effect 3. I play massively multiplayer online RPGs – almost all MMORPGs – somewhat compulsively. (It's part of my job.) But I refused to play Dark Age of Camelot back in the day.
Why? Because the development team went to a great deal of trouble to change the sitting animation to be more ladylike for female characters – they sit sidesaddle, as it were, instead of cross-legged – and then they made a big deal out of it as being female-player friendly.
There may have been good reasons for the different animation – although as a game dev I'm not thinking of any. And I'm sure that some players of any gender (and playing either male or female characters) liked the difference. I'm sure some didn't. But using it as a selling point because it was 'female-player friendly'? Ugh. Just … ugh.
Do you think Rochelle from Left 4 Dead 2 counts? Ok she's not the protagonist, as by necessity there are three others too, but she's definitely not a minor character. Moreover, she seems to be designed as an actual real woman, rather than a male fantasy object.
"I am not surprised real-life dudes don't play as Lady Shepard." Wow, that's how it is in general out there? Everyone I've met regardless of real-life gender plays female Shepard. Jennifer Hale's voice-acting out-shines the male actor by light-years.
And I really agree about the awkwardness in the Katsumi mission. It was a great addition to how Shepard isn't that good at non-military functions.
I love this! It's so going in my favorites.
So what you're saying is the game doesn't see race… ? Normally people object to that. But as shown it is better than fetishizing and obsessing over it.
Great post! You articulated nicely many of the reasons I love my lady Shepards. You might be interested in reading some thoughts on the subject of how sex & gender is portrayed in the Mass Effect series written by Patrick Weeks, one of the writers on Mass Effect 2 & 3. He wrote two posts on the subject on his livejournal–here is his initial post:
He also wrote a follow up summarizing people's reactions to his first post. Interesting stuff for any ME fans interested in how Lady Shep is portrayed in the series…
So let me get this straight, you look forward to a universe where any distinctiveness is bred out of us and we lack the cultural diversity from which raceism/sexism/homophobia arise?
Our species may be said to have the 'vices of it's virtues'. We have an amazing assortment of races, creeds, colors, orientations etc… And so long as these distinctions exist people will react to them, often negatively. Only in a video game, where the pragmatics of development and production force the builders to create a mostly neutral experience, will you ever see those kinds of responses to someone's actions. In the real world when we see someone doing something bad we blame it on a personal defect with them, or their group in general.
Jones & Harris (1965) in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology published a now very famous article called "The Attribution of Attitudes."
Their findings can be summarized thusly; When we see negative behavior in someone else, we attribute it to an internal characteristic of that person. E.G. something is wrong with them personally. When we ourselves screw something up we tend to blame outside influences. This is known as the Fundamental Attribution Error and is generally regarded as being one major possible sources for prejudice.
So, to reiterate, the only way you're ever going to have a universe as devoid of prejudice as the Mass Effect Universe is…in a game like Mass Effect.
Additionally, you mentioned the lack of queer black female protagonists. A couple of points here:
1: Like everone else Bioware tailors their games to the demographic most likely to play it. For video games in general, and violent games in particular, that demographic is the 18-40 year old men. 18-40 year old men would have a hard time imagining themselves as the protagonist if the protagonist were a gay black woman. So in order to make the most money Bioware set the default to, guess what, something that generally resembles the target audience. This was not a decision based in prejudice, it was based in a profit motive informed by marketing data. When gay black women are the main purchasers of violent video games then the protagonists will start to be gay black women, with stories written to reflect that life experience.
2: You just can't please everyone. However much you might (or indeed, do) enjoy a hot tempered, skull cracking, black, lesbian main character my guess is that at least some lesbians would raise a shitstorm about being stereotyped as 'masculine'.
And just as an aside, while Liara is obviously female in appearance the game makes it quite clear that Asari are unisex and so calling it a 'lesbian' relationship is, perhaps, a bit of a stretch. Romancing Kelly in the second game is a more clear-cut example. Also, insofar as I am aware, there are zero possible male-male relationships in the game…take from that what you will.
My take home message is this: Your vision of a future in which nobody chalks your actions up to a stereotypical view of your particular group is a fallacy because it requires that we all become bland, identical clones of one another. And I'd rather have a world with diversity AND prejudice than a world with neither.
I don't disagree with you entirely, but I'd like to contrast the chorus of agreement in the comments here. I'll list my points out to make them a bit easier to parse through.
1. The way you view the gender neutrality in ME is necessarily influenced by your own personal narrative and perspective. Thus, your expectations for how a woman should act, how a woman should look, and how a woman should be treated are yours and yours only. They will be shared by others, evidenced in the comments sections here, but not everyone, surely. What you deem gender neutral may not be so at all. Consider your statement here:
"We know she's tough by her non-explicitly-gendered actions — the same way we know Dude Shepard is tough."
Why do we know "Dude Shepard" is tough? Why does "Dude Shepard" have to be tough? If "Dude Shepard" is tough because he must be tough in order to be a hero-protagonist in a sci-fi shooter, then the role really isn't very gender neutral – it's still leaning toward the male side. The absence of the storyline focusing on a triumphant defeat of sexism doesn't really mean you've won a battle for gender neutrality, especially when you're forced to play a female character who still must aspire to display inherently masculine traits.
2. Sort of following from #1, writers don't always create storylines involving a defeat of sexist or racist oppressors because it's "convenient." These stories are just real. At least in America, where we worship this illusory concept of the "American Dream," stories about people who rise up victoriously against nay-sayers and oppressors are what we want to see and it's what we want to do in real life. Ironically, what you missed in these such stories is that the challenges of racism and sexism are often metaphorical vessels for writers, and in fact, it would not be inappropriate to reframe these challenges into a racism-free or sexism-free context you, yourself, suggest.
What I'm trying to say is that we each build our character at least partly by overcoming challenges regardless of the source. I don't think stories should lean up too strongly on phenomena such as sexism in creating conflict, but these are essential characteristics of our "binary"-gender world (I quote you here – human gender isn't strictly binary). Maybe we're in agreement here. It just seems you'd take the extreme stance, where the best stories are those where humankind's commonly oppressive biases are completely left out as a mechanism of conflict. I disagree.
3. I'm not sure you totally grasp one of the core characteristics of your universe in which character triumphs over all. You believe that, since alien races are the predominant classification in the galaxy rather than human-specific qualities, beings (not people) are judged by their character instead of their gender, socioeconomic status, and race. Unfortunately, one of the principle threats to humans as a species has been the dehumanization of an opposing or differing group of people. The "Othering" process, as has been studied extensively by the social sciences, could be held responsible for some or all of the worst genocides in our history and perhaps may even be the reason why we're living in the most violent point in all of human history.
It's possible you didn't mean what you said literally, that what you ultimately wanted was a world where character alone "is most important in how we relate to one another," regardless of what paradigm erases the endless cycle of categorical judgment. In that case, I cannot disagree with you, although you'd have to define "character" (yeah, I don't know what that means) and how to build it up… another can of worms.
In conclusion, if all you're saying is that it's refreshing to see a game in which not 100% of its components are strongly influenced by the "man-ness" of its creators, then that's your opinion, and I agree it's a good sign for the industry.
YES. I was actually kind of pleasantly surprised that my bald, butch FemShep behaved like a butch in game. I felt pretty connected to her especially when she behaved like a butch with the awkward dancing and wearing that dress (that is TOTALLY ME and appreciated it so much). Thought at the same time, that's when it hit me that all the animations were 'male' and femshep was just a skin. I liked it and probably would have been annoyed with more 'feminine' animations considering how I envisioned her… though I can't help but think that some people probably envisioned her in a more feminine way. I liked the one suggestion above about choosing your animation set to go with behaviour… that would be interesting.
I have a feeling that this could very well be an interesting, thought-provoking post, and that I might have agreed with a lot of what you have to say. Unfortunately I'll never know, because I stopped reading when I got to the word "Assley."
Certainly no-one begrudges you your opinion of any particular character. Including it in this post, however, served no purpose whatsoever except to alienate the (as you put it) "lot of folks" who don't flip their shit at the notion that a character might be slightly distrustful of powerful alien governments. So in the future you might consider that tossing petty, cringe-inducingly puerile character bashing in with the rest of your post might hinder your message more than it helps.
Just saying.
I don't think anyone wants FemShep to be more ladylike in ME3, I think it's more about not wanting the weird glitches that came along with the shared rig, like trying to drink through your eye. And clipping issues. Okay, and the underskirt view too. There were perfectly good animations in ME1, mostly people just want that back.
This is probably the longest article on the most insignifigant issue ever. Good job.
I don't play video games at all and am completely unfamiliar with the game you are talking about. Normally I'd skim through this and just be like 'yup, post on gender in video games,' but this was a total pleasure to read. Your writing is very clear, descriptive, and nuanced. Nice!
"I am not surprised real-life dudes don't play as Lady Shepard."
They do! My husband and many of his friends played Shepard as female.
Also, it's fun to see you writing about this because my husband is a designer for Bioware, though Mass Effect is not one of the titles he works/worked on. Speaking of which, always keep in mind that the designers don't get to have ANY influence over the marketing. Seriously, I've heard my husband and his coworkers bitch about this all the time. The advertising people get carte blanche on this stuff and not only do they often misrepresent the game, but a lot of time they get things flat out wrong. The people who put their heart into creating the content of these games get just as frustrated as the players because it's out of their hands.
I love Mass Effect! I loved that video that was posted, it was fabulous! I may just have to go back and play both games again on completely new characters just to see what I can come up with that I normally wouldn't for a character. ^_^
I also think Shepard would be much better in a tux. I mean come on there are women out there who are absolutely not comfortable in dresses! And who said women have to be 'girly' or 'feminine' to be female? It's how people are socialized yes but that does not make it a requirement.
And who said women have to be 'girly' or 'feminine' to be female?
And who says that women have to be any way in order to be female?
I agree that there should have been a choice between a tux or dress for female Shepard. I disagree with the implication that all female Shepards are butch badasses who do not have their 'girly' moments — we don't know that at all. I didn't find female Shepard in a dress to be uncomfortable at all: She walked, spoke, and acted with the same authority that she always did. I have no problem thinking that the ubermarine Shepard could be a multi-faceted (wo)man, an effective leader and brilliant marine, able to keep the personal and professional separate, comfortable in uniform and civvies both, and generally being awesome as all get out. My female Shepard is not your female Shepard, and if she wants to wear a dress, so be it; should yours wish to wear a tux, that's fine too — I just wish that Bioware had given her that option.
Erm, you do realize that what you praise Mass Effect games for is present in the majority of rpg games? This series is in no way exceptional in that regard. In virtually all rpgs that allow the player to choose their character's (or characters') appearance non-player character's do not react to the player's character's appearance, gender or skin colour. Mass Effect franchise is neither the first nor the last to have it. Your claim that this game is revolutionary in that respect is simply absurd.
nobody actually read your story about being a space dyke
I really like your post and your writing style. I've been around your blog reading some of your articles and this has to be the first one I've seen such controversy. Most of the people who disagreed with you seem angry. I think you handle their grievances very beautifully and with a great sense of humor.
I just wanted to say thank you for such a brilliantly written article. So clad that I checked out todays Sunday Papers article on Rock Paper Shotgun 🙂
With regards to Shepard, it's been the last few months that I was able to complete an ME1 playthrough with FemShep and have gotten a ways through ME2. Mainly this is becasue I want to have as many options as possible for when ME3 hits next year, and it's been fun trying to play her as more of a rogue-ish hardass compared to my default paragon approach to MaleShep (side note- Rather than Blandy McBland, I've managed to get my Shepard to look like Ron Pearlman. Makes him far more interesting…)
Your points about colour and gender though are fascinating. I hadn't really given it much thought, but for the most part if a game offers the choice I try to create a character who resembles my own cultural background (white, male, hirstute). Although my first DA2 run was as FemHawke, opting for wise-ass options where possible (and the Merril relationship is just sweet to watch unfold), and you've made me give some serious thought to thinking outside the norm when it comes to creating a character in the future…..
Also, whilst Ash is xenophobic, I agree that part of the joy of ME1 is challenging her views and encouraging her to be more tolerant. And you have to admit, her family history provides an understandable reason for why she thinks the way she does…..
You get the same thing with people in wheelchairs in pop culture. You see a guy in a wheelchair in some drama, and you can say with almost absolute certainty that it's going to come into the story somehow. No one's ever disabled in popular fiction 'just because'.
I detest femshep, mainly for this kind of self-congratulatory "grrl power", "Im so f*cking awesome and anyone who chooses to play as defealt guy/a custom white guy isnt" mentality that surrounds the character.
I think fundamentally, no matter how pretentious certain people are, how much they think theyve got a handle on the worlds ills and how a certain set of people a "hyper priviledged" and should somehow reanalyse how they live their lives and go about their business at your behest – its a game. Its a game designed to entertain. Games designed to entertain started out and continue to be the province of men, developed and play by. The fact that they have, like a massive proportion of RPGs, allowed certain arrogant, self obsessed women or lesbian sex obsessed jackasses to play as a female isnt really all that special.
I think when people actually get off their fucking soap boxes, theyll see its designed to simply be played. Thats why its so neutral. Not to give a bunch of vain players with victim complexes cause for celebration. Just to put across a core expereince to as many players as possible.
And ultimately, thats what I wish was done more around femshep. That they would follow the example of their "cliche, generic bonehead white male shep" playing counterparts and just shut their entitled faces and play the damn game.
Wow–one woman out of the hundreds of thousands who have played the game takes a little bit of time to talk about race and gender issues, and that majorly harshes your mellow, huh? Bummer.
Lesley, thanks for this article. I play FemShep because I tend to play female character whenever a game allows me to. The reasons are multiple but after two games I just cannot stand the thought of Shepard being a guy. It just does not make sense.
Another dude-who-plays-FemShep here, and one that was pretty bothered by the lack of female romance options for FemShep in ME2. Especially Jack, who is not only jaw-droppingly butch but explicitly identifies as bi. The hell, Bioware.


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Flycaptain Winter Escape Cancun
Flycaptain Winter Escape Cancun, Hoverboard ® picture Zapata-Racing 1153. by: DAMONER, DAMONE RIPPY, Hoverboard ®, Rider(s): STEVE Tricks: Spot: Flyboard Mexico Date: 2015-02-19 16:16:37. Flycaptain has settled for 2 weeks in Cancun, Mexico, with pro Flyboard Riders Jake Orel and Damone Rippy. Long periods of training in often ideal conditions for the Flyboard and some Hoverboard by ZR. A great oportunity to meet the Flyboard Mexico team and Flygirls. Many videos and pictures of this trip have been used to supply the various parts of the site.
Flycaptain is the official Zapata Racing community. Flyboard Legend, Flyboard Pro Series, Flyboard Sport, Flyboard Air, Hoverboard by ZR, JetPack ZR, Flyboard ZR, Zapata Racing Flyboards videos, photos, how to make tricks, dedicated iPhone app for watersports activities like the Flyboard, hydroflight sport, hydrosports. Rental point, spots, events, forum, flyboard show, online store, physical shop in south of France on the French Riviera, blog, competitions. Check out the BACKFLIP or 1.5 FLIP.

subset: commoncrawl


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The U.S. Supreme Court made gay marriage legal in every state, but the LDS Church's FamilySearch massive genealogy databank still hasn't listed same-sex couples. However, change is coming to the genealogy resource — and soon.
An article by Peggy Fletcher Stack in the Salt Lake Tribune web site states:
"The church's genealogical arm has been planning for several years to expand its services to include "same-sex parents and same-sex couples," according to a statement on the FamilySearch website, but that requires several systems to be "significantly redesigned to support same-sex relationships before Family Tree can release this capability."
"The group expects to 'finish this work by 2019,' it said. 'Following this work, the FamilySearch Family Tree application can then allow same-sex information to be recorded.'"
"Owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, FamilySearch is 'one of the world's largest collections of genealogical data, drawn from civil, ecclesiastical and other sources to assist researchers,' church spokeswoman Irene Caso said Wednesday in a statement. It makes no judgment 'as to the legitimacy or character of the relationships found in these public records. … They are simply collections of data to be assessed for their genealogical value by each researcher.'"
You can read the full story at http://bit.ly/2t6S58v.


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Hi, I'm using WAMP to develop a client website on my computer before I go live with it.
I've set the server up correctly and have no trouble getting the dashboard and my changes to the Atahualpa settings to work.
I'm using a static page for the home page, and am using pages rather than posts for the rest of the site.
However, when I click on the page links (other than the home page), I'm getting 404 errors. Any idea what's going wrong here?


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Brennwald, Karl (16th century)
Karl Brennwald, a Zürich Anabaptist in the earliest days of the movement, who was put into the dungeon of the Hexenturm with Grebel, Manz, and Blaurock soon after the second Anabaptist disputation. It was he who called attention to the unlocked shutter and thus led to the memorable flight from prison, 5 April 1526. Egli mentions two brief cross-examinations and his conversion through Roggenacher, and that captured Anabaptists said he was one of their preachers. Apparently he is identical with the Karlin mentioned in the article Basel.
Egli, Emil. Die Züricher Wiedertäufer zur Reformationszeit: nach den Quellen des Staatsarchivs. Zürich : Friedrich Schulthess, 1878: 54, 74.
Hege, Christian and Christian Neff. Mennonitisches Lexikon, 4 vols. Frankfurt & Weierhof: Hege; Karlsruhe; Schneider, 1913-1967: v. I, 263.
|Christian Neff
|Date Published
Cite This Article
MLA style
Neff, Christian. "Brennwald, Karl (16th century)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1953. Web. 1 Oct 2020. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Brennwald,_Karl_(16th_century)&oldid=144007.
APA style
Neff, Christian. (1953). Brennwald, Karl (16th century). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 1 October 2020, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Brennwald,_Karl_(16th_century)&oldid=144007.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, p. 418. All rights reserved.
©1996-2020 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.


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Conference shuffling leaves UC on outside looking in
Big East beginning to resemble Conference USA
As the college sports landscape shifts, the University of Cincinnati could be relegated to a minor conference again.
Since moving to the Big East six years ago, UC has experienced immense athletic success, with two appearances in major football bowl games and a Sweet 16 appearance in last year's NCAA men's basketball tournament.
But the nation's biggest athletic conferences are scrambling to become even bigger. In the past two seasons, the SEC has added teams, along with the PAC-12, the Big Ten and the ACC.
UC had been mentioned as a candidate to join the ACC, which is strong in both football and basketball, but Louisville was reportedly chosen instead.
That leaves UC in a struggling Big East that's beginning to resemble the Conference USA the Bearcats bolted in 2005.
The Big East lacks the money paid out to member schools, and it also could restrict access by member schools to major bowl games, which could leave UC in football purgatory.
The only shred of good news for UC is that most observers believe the conference shuffling will continue, so the Bearcats could wind up with an invitation to a big conference.


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When Bill and Mara decided to have a geeky wedding, they realized they needed geeky wedding invitations. And what better way to show off their 'circuits and swirl' theme than to create a circuit board invitation.
It ain't easy getting those lights to light up! The lights are dark until the card is opened up and have a secret Morse code message that only shows up when the light sensor senses the perfect amount of light. With all that technowiz, the circuit board design is pretty much just the icing.
The invitations were a DIY project by Bill and Mara and they used microcontroller-powered LEDs, battery and light sensor to create the look. In all, they made 50 invitations with a Xerox printer and copper-clad kapton tape. If you're curious on how to make these geeky cards yourself, head over to Bill's website here. [Bill Porter via DVICE]


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AI: Preparing People for the Human-Machine Partnerships of the Future
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Business Briefing is a 90-minute session designed to bring leaders together to learn about, reflect on and discuss recent research and current ideas related to AI and its expected impact. In it, we present our latest research into attitudes about AI and explore the skills that will be needed to maximize the human-machine partnership of the future, sharing considerations for leaders to help ensure success with their own AI initiatives.
Lo que aprenderás
We'll review key research from outside experts about the impact AI is expected to have on the workplace as well as new findings from Dale Carnegie & Associates on employees' attitudes toward AI and its use in specific applications. We'll also share the skills needed for people to work most effectively alongside AI and three imperatives that should be part of plans to prepare people when undergoing digital transformation of any kind.
Por qué lo deseas aprender
Achieving the full potential of AI depends on a successful partnership between humans and machines. As organizations introduce AI and other forms of technology, it's critical for leaders to have a clear understanding of how it will impact people and how to prepare them.
Cómo te ayudará
Even if you're not deploying artificial intelligence now, developing insights into how to encourage employees to become advocates can benefit any major change initiative on your horizon.


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incl. VAT, excl. shipping costs
The new ergonomic triangular design provides a well-balanced, natural in-hand feel. Personalize Bamboo Sketch with two customizable shortcut buttons and exchangeable pen tips, both soft and firm. Keep your Bamboo Sketch safe in the convenient stylish case for storing the pen, extra nibs and USB charger. Additional features include charging via USB: Simply insert the USB charger into your USB port and snap the pen onto the magnetic connector.
Bamboo Sketch is fully integrated with leading creative apps for drawing and sketching, such as Bamboo Paper, ArtRage, Autodesk SketchBook, Concepts, and Tayasui Sketches, as well as notetaking apps - GoodNotes, Noteshelf, and ZoomNotes - allowing instant in-app pairing for immediate performance.
The Inkspace cloud service enables you to store, shape and share your work.
Make sure to pair Bamboo Fineline with a compatible app when using it with these devices.
You can find a list of tested devices at www.wacom.com/comp


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Pajarita wrote:I also don't think that this is a technique that every single person who has a parrot absolutely needs to know. Toweling is another story, though... everybody should learn how to towel a bird properly and without scaring the bird.
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Fox Glosses Over Former Fox Host John Kasich's Policies To Rehab His Image
Fox News' Neil Cavuto invited former Fox host and current Ohio Gov. John Kasich onto his program for a softball interview that glossed over Kasich's record of harmful, draconian policies directed at middle and working class families in Ohio. Cavuto also completely ignored ethics questions currently surrounding the Kasich administration's JobsOhio company -- a privatized state development corporation accused of steering tax dollars toward Kasich allies.
Kasich, a former Fox News personality who has received considerable encouragement from the network in the past, appeared on the August 15 edition of Your World where he discussed his economic record and controversial tenure as Governor of Ohio -- at one point, he was the most unpopular governor in the country. According to Cavuto, Kasich "has single-handedly turned his state around, and right now he is the most popular he's ever been there, but lately now he's ticking off a lot of folks which is why we always love having him on."
Cavuto began the interview by letting Kasich praise his own economic policies in Ohio without acknowledging several important facts. For example, according to a recent Pew Research survey, Ohio ranks 47th among all states in private sector job creation over the last year, and a majority of those jobs created under the Kasich administration have been low-paying positions with wages less than $15 per hour. And while Ohio has seen a positive trend in job growth, that trend began before Kasich took office in 2011. Kasich has previously dismissed the idea of an auto bailout, but nearly 850,000 jobs -- about 12 percent of Ohio's labor force -- are tied to the auto industry, according to the Center for Automotive Research. Yet even after the bailout succeeded, Kasich dodged questions about whether or not he supported it.
During the interview, Cavuto praised Kasich's handling of Ohio's budget, claiming, "Many [are] impressed with how you've turned the budget around." Cavuto then allowed Kasich to give an oration about his desire to "reach out to people who live in the shadows" and help them economically. But still Cavuto failed to mention how Ohio's budget surplus came from draconian cuts Kasich made that slashed funding for education and women's health. And Kasich's newest budget proposal includes an increase in the state sales tax -- a plan that "plays to an upper income audience," according to Ohio State Professor Paul Beck. "I think that people really get hit who are lower, middle class and lower wage positions because they are spending more of their income in consumption," Beck said of Kasich's plan.
While talking about Kasich's economic views, Cavuto also missed an opportunity to question the governor about the controversy surrounding Kasich's JobsOhio, a private, non-profit company created by his administration to help spur job growth in Ohio and a centerpiece of his economic plan. According to Ohio's WKSU, "An investigative report shows the majority of members on the state's private job development company board, JobsOhio, are invested with businesses that are receiving state incentives through that organization." While the Ohio Ethics Commission recently declined to rule on a complaint involving Kasich himself, they were unable to investigate the board of JobsOhio -- that's because the Republican legislature legally denied them that power, despite their pleas to the contrary. After a public dispute with Republican State Auditor Dave Yost over JobsOhio's finances, Kasich signed a bill barring the state auditor from auditing their books.
While the Wall Street Journal also glossed over Kasich's record in order to praise him, Fox News has a history of attempting to rehabilitate the images of unpopular conservatives, including Sarah Palin, former President George W. Bush, and most recently, Rush Limbaugh.


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Since 2006, Christine Stavros' life has been filled with many challenges, the first of which occurred with an unexpected health crisis.
At the age of 28, she began experiencing unusual pain in her stomach and irregularity with her digestive system. A colonoscopy determined she was suffering from ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease with which 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed. Typically appearing in people in their mid-30s, there's no true cure save removal of the colon, and little cause is known of the illness associated with a loss of energy, appetite and weight, as well as abdominal pain, diarrhea and bloody stools.
"I had a rough first year where I had several flares,†she said. "I switched to a new gastroenterologist and tried new medications, and I've been really blessed to (now) have everything in control.†Treating the illness has become easier over time, especially through the help of husband, Pete, as well as the organization Team Challenge – an endurance training and fitness program sponsored by the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) allowing participants to run or walk a half-marathon, train for a cycling event or experience a sprint triathlon, while making a difference.
In 2010, Christine completed her first Team Challenge in Napa, raising $4,800 for Crohn's and colitis research. Her plan was to participate in one event and be done, but she found herself hooked on the challenge. "It's just the camaraderie of (Team Challenge),†she said. "Before, I was kind of quiet about the disease … and obviously once you start fundraising you have to start sharing your story … and you realize how big this issue is and suddenly have this big group of people who understand what you're going through.â€
The disease became all too clear for Pete a year later, when he was diagnosed with a more advanced form of colitis, and within 10 months underwent three surgeries. The experience was traumatic for both him and Christine, but thanks to Team Challenge, the couple garnered even more support fighting the disease the second time around.
Christine has continued her commitment to Team Challenge, participating in the Napa event over summer. She'll mentor a competitor, due to an injury keeping her from running, at Team Challenge Nashville on Sept. 22, held the same day as a new fundraiser Christine is helping start in Louisville.
The inaugural Cupcakes and Cocktails event, a benefit for the Kentucky Chapter of CCFA, will be held at Eclipse Bank, 3827 Shelbyville Road, at 7 p.m. on Sept. 22. Taking on responsibility for the fundraiser may add extra work to her schedule, but with all she's overcome in the last six years, it's a challenge Christine willingly accepts in hopes of one day finding a cure for her illness.
"I feel much better, I feel much healthier, but I still have little issues,†Christine said. "A lot of people, they may not know it, but they probably know someone who's affected by (Crohn's or colitis). (And Cupcakes and Cocktails is a way to) provide your support and help individuals you may not even realize are helped by it.â€
Cupcakes and Cocktails
Cupcakes and Cocktails will be hosted by the Kentucky Chapter of the CCFA. The event is held to raise awareness and funds to support research for these two chronic digestive diseases. Attendees will enjoy signature cupcakes from four local bakeries competing for the best tasting cupcake and best presentation, a signature cocktail sponsored by Brown-Forman, live music, light hors d'oeuvres and an exclusive silent auction. Tasting will be judged by event guests; presentation will be judged by James Brown from Brown Bakery in Lexington; Angie Fenton, managing editor of The Voice-Tribune and entertainment correspondent for WHAS11's Great Day Live!; Steve Stratton, CEO of Eclipse Bank; and 99.7 WDJX's Kelly K, who is also emceeing the event. Tickets are $50 per person. For additional information about Team Challenge and Cupcakes and Cocktails, visit www.ccfa.org/chapters/kentucky or contact the Kentucky Chapter at 646.623.2620.


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Fair 'nuff.
Fair 'nuff.
better than once a week.
Wow that's a really good edit of the dialogue
Bravo hahahaah
LOL. Good one
It was great while it lasted.
Nice edit! I think you really nailed the writing here.
My face exactly . Not like I didn't see it coming though.
I thought nobody could keep up such a busy schedule, I still can't believe the previous schedule lasted for so long.
That's a fantastic edit. U:


text: Open for a Private Party / Group Event! Click this link to begin planning your event! June 20, 20176:30 pm - 8:30 pm Venue: Masterpiece Mixers Louisville Venue Phone: (502) 694-7449 Address: 8021 Dixie Highway, Ste. 105, Louisville, Kentucky, 40258, United States Submit a Comment Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment.


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Top 5 Password Managers for Linux [Guest Post]
In this post you will find set of password managers for Linux which provides secure storage for your passwords for sensitive data. If you still keep the passwords in plain text then you must consider one of available password managers so this article is for you. KeePassX KeePassX has been a very popular and famous password manager for Linux for a very long time and still trusted by pretty big […]Read more →


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Round-trip tickets to Lake District National Park with reserved seats
Scenic Cruise on Lake Windermere (largest UK lake)
Visit medieval Hawkshead Village
Visit Hill Top (Home of Beatrix Potter)
Photo stop at Tarn Hows, the scenic viewpoint
Cream Tea at the Lindeth Howe Country Hotel, once home to Beatrix Potter
Meet the Premium Tours representative at Euston Station to collect your tickets and itinerary for the day then relax and enjoy your train journey to Oxenholme.
The below tour itinerary runs 1st March 2017 - 29th October 2017 (Summer itinerary):
We start the afternoon by making your way from Bowness Bay towards Waterhead cruising on England's largest lake, Windermere. Sit back and enjoy the unrivalled views from the Lake towards the fell ranges beyond.
After arriving at Waterhead, we make our way to Beatrix Potter's Hill Top Farm, where she wrote many of her famous children's stories in this 17th-century cottage. We will have the opportunity to go into the house* explore the garden and visit the shop.
Continuing onto the medieval village of Hawkshead, we will have a little time to explore its many delightful features. There is plenty of photo opportunities including William Wordsworth old Grammar School is located here.
Onwards then, to the renowned beauty spot of Tarn Hows, which is one of the most photographed locations in the Lake District. Soak up the stunning views looking towards the mountains at Tarn Hows,
We finish the tour in the lakeside village of Bowness-on-Windermere where you will be able to enjoy our Traditional English Cream Tea at a former home of Beatrix Potter, Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel, which is now a four-star hotel.
The following tour is available between 30th October 17 and 16th February 18 (Winter itinerary):
Lake Windermere, customers, have a Lake Cruise.
Hawkshead, we stop for around 30-45 minutes for clients to grab some lunch.
A visit to Tarn Hows, a scenic viewpoint.
A visit to The Langdales, classic Lake District 'u' shaped valley famous for walking and climbing.
A Cream Tea at Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel a former residence once owned by Beatrix Potter.
We make our way through the Southern Lake District arriving at the medieval village of Hawkshead, where you will have a little time to explore its many delightful features. There are plenty of photo opportunities incl William Wordsworth old Grammar School is located here.
Onwards then, to the renowned beauty spot of Tarn Hows, which is one of the most photographed locations in the Lake District. Soak up the stunning views looking towards the mountains from Tarn Hows.
We then make our journey into the Mountains and the Langdale Valley, which was formed by glaciers millions of years ago. The area provides the classic Lake District scenery. You will have chance to stop at the picturesque Blea Tarn. You might even see a few of the local Herdwick Sheep!
Sit back and relax at the end of afternoon whilst you make your way from Waterhead to Bowness Bay cruising on England's largest lake, Windermere. At 1 mile wide, enjoy the unrivalled views from the Lake towards the fell ranges.
We finish the tour at Bowness-on-Windermere where you will be able to enjoy your Traditional English Cream Tea at the Four Star Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel, once owned by Beatrix Potter.
Please note:
· Meet the Premium Tour representative to collect your tickets and itinerary for the day outside the Euston main ticket office at 08.00 am for an 8.30am train.
· Returns: 9:25 pm - Euston Station
· Tour does not run on Bank Holidays
· We regret this tour is unsuitable for a child under five years of age
· Routes are subject to change without notice
· Please note some weather conditions may not allow a Lake Cruise to take part.
· We reserve the right to alter or cancel tours in the event of severe inclement weather, traffic congestion or for operational reasons
· We include a number of attractions in our tours, however, these are operated by third parties, and therefore we are not liable for any damages, loss or closures to do with these third parties
· Lunch and Refreshments are not included in our prices unless otherwise stated
· Hill Top House is closed on Fridays however we will still visit its Garden and Shop. Hill Top is not included in the Winter itinerary (30th Oct 17 – 16th Feb 18)
· Please note this tour is unescorted to and from the Lake District
· Please note - once booked, this tour is non-refundable


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By Bonnie K. Goodman
Ms. Goodman is the Editor of History Musings. She has a BA in History & Art History & a Masters in Library and Information Studies from McGill University, and has done graduate work in history at Concordia University. Ms. Goodman has also contributed the overviews, and chronologies in History of American Presidential Elections, 1789-2008, 4th edition, edited by Gil Troy, Fred L. Israel, and Arthur Meier Schlesinger published by Facts on File, Inc. in late 2011.
Mitt Romney greeted supporters in Massachusetts, one of the states he won on Tuesday night.
Super Tuesday represents the biggest day in the race for the Republican nomination so far, with 419 total delegates at stake in 10 states — more delegates than have been awarded in all of the previous nominating contests combined. – CBS News
- Updates on Super Tuesday Races: Mitt Romney picked up early victories in the Republicans' Super Tuesday primary contests, but Rick Santorum won in Tennessee and Oklahoma and Newt Gingrich took his home state of Georgia…. – NYT, 3-6-12Live blog: Romney wins six Super Tuesday states — Santorum wins three states: We're live-blogging results from Super Tuesday, where voters in 10 states cast ballots in the GOP presidential race… – USA Today, 3-6-12
Breaking News: Romney wins Alaska caucuses, AP reports: Mitt Romney won the Alaska Republican presidential caucuses on Tuesday, his sixth victory on Super Tuesday, the Associated Press reported. Ron Paul came in second.
Earlier, Romney won a narrow victory in Ohio, beating Rick Santorum. Romney also added Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia and Idaho to his column on the 10-contest night…. – WaPo, 3-6-12
- Romney takes 6 Super Tuesday states, Santorum nets 3: CBS News projects that Mitt Romney will win Ohio's key primary contest Tuesday, after a neck-and-neck race with rival Rick Santorum to eke out a victory in the pivotal battleground state.
With 96 percent reporting in Ohio, Romney has 38 percent support to Santorum's 37 percent. Newt Gingrich is in third place with 15 percent and Ron Paul follows with 9 percent.
Mitt Romney has also won primaries in Virginia, Massachusetts and Vermont, as well as the Idaho caucuses. Rick Santorum won primaries in Tennessee and Oklahoma, and in the North Dakota caucuses. In Georgia, Gingrich clinched his first primary victory since South Carolina's January 21 primary contest.
Ron Paul did not win any contests on Tuesday, but he did finish second in four states: Vermont, Idaho, North Dakota and Virginia.
The Associated Press reports that Romney also won Alaska's Super Tuesday caucuses. According to the AP's tally, Santorum came in a close second, followed by Ron Paul and then Newt Gingrich. The state's 24 delegates are allocated proportionally…. – CBS News, 3-7-12Mitt Romney wins Ohio primary: Mitt Romney won Super Tuesday's grand prize, the Ohio presidential primary, beating out Rick Santorum in a hard-fought battle for the Rust Belt state's 66 delegates.
The victory was Romney's fifth of the night, and promised to give him the lion's share of delegates overall after 10 states went to the polls Tuesday. The win should cement his status as the man to beat in the Republican presidential contest.
Santorum's victories of the night were Oklahoma, North Dakota and Tennessee; Newt Gingrich won his home state of Georgia. Results in the final state that voted on Super Tuesday, Alaska, are due later this morning…. – WaPo, 3-6-12
- AP, Networks Call Ohio for Romney: Mitt Romney appears to have won the Ohio primary by a razor-thin margin, according to the Associated Press and television networks, barely staving off an embarrassing loss at the hands of his chief rival, Rick Santorum.
After trailing for much of the night, Mr. Romney moved into the lead in Ohio with a surge of support from the big cities of Cincinnati and Cleveland and their suburbs.
As night turned to early morning, Mr. Romney extended his lead to more than 12,000 votes, leading the AP to finally call the race at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday morning…. – NYT, 3-7-12
- Super Tuesday: Romney starts fast, Santorum hangs tough: Mitt Romney chalked up Super Tuesday wins in Virginia, Vermont and Massachusetts, seeking to fasten his grip on the GOP nomination by dominating the single biggest day of balloting in the hard-fought … – LAT, 3-6-12Super Tuesday: Washington Post covers Republican primary results: … tweeters, columnists and bloggers to help readers make sense of Super Tuesday – the biggest single day in the race for the Republican presidential nomination. More than a half dozen reporters have spread out across the key primary and caucus … – WaPo, 3-6-12
- Ohio primary results: Too close to call: Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are headed toward an extremely close finish in the race for the ultimate Super Tuesday battleground, Ohio, after the two candidates divided up Republican primary votes and traded victories in states across the nation…. – WaPo, 3-6-12Mitt Romney takes Idaho, his fourth win of night: Mitt Romney has won the Idaho caucuses, his fourth victory of the night, AP reports.
Romney was considered the clear favorite, thanks to the state's heavy Mormon population as well as to the goodwill he earned across the Rocky Mountain region from his work running the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City.
The 32 delegates in the state are likely to be awarded winner-takes-all.
As of 11:45, the only two states that hadn't picked a winner were Alaska, which didn't expect results until early morning, and Ohio, which remained locked in a fierce battle between Romney and Rick Santorum. WaPo, 3-6-12
Santorum claims third win in North Dakota: Rick Santorum has earned his third victory of the night in the North Dakota caucuses, according to the AP.
Ron Paul had hoped to post his first win in the Republican presidential race with a strong grass-roots effort in the state, but was trailing Santorum in early returns, with Mitt Romney in third place.
No winner has been declared in Idaho, Alaska or the battleground state of Ohio, where Santorum and Romney were locked in a battle that was still too close to call…. – WaPo, 3-6-12
Rick Santorum wins GOP primary in Oklahoma: Rick Santorum has won the Republican primary in Oklahoma, according to exit polls, his second victory of the night after Tennessee.
Oklahoma is a key win over well-funded rival Mitt Romney, signaling that the GOP race is likely to extend long beyond this Super Tuesday. WaPo, 3-6-12
Rick Santorum wins GOP primary in Tennessee: Rick Santorum has won the Tennessee Republican primary, according to the AP, his first victory of the night.
The race in this Super Tuesday's most important battleground state — Ohio — remains too close to call…. – WaPo, 3-6-12
Mitt Romney wins Massachusetts GOP primary: Mitt Romney has won the Republican primary in Massachusetts, his third victory of this Super Tuesday in the state where he served as governor.
Romney's win in Massachusetts, where he has lived for 40 years, followed earlier victories in Virginia and Vermont.
The only other candidate to win a state so far is former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who won his own home state of Georgia. WaPo, 3-6-12
Mitt Romney wins GOP primary in Vermont: Mitt Romney has won the Republican primary in Vermont, according to the AP.
Vermont is the second win of the night for the former Massachusetts governor after he claimed victory in Virginia…. – WaPo, 3-6-12
Mitt Romney wins GOP primary in Virginia: Mitt Romney has won the Republican primary in Virginia, according to the AP.
Romney and Texas Rep. Ron Paul were the only candidates on the ballot…. – WaPo, 3-6-12
Exit polls: Gingrich wins home state of Georgia: Newt Gingrich has won the Georgia primary, taking his home state and winning his second state in the 2012 presidential campaign, according to exit polls.
Gingrich's win ends a losing streak that lasted a month and a half. His last and only win came in South Carolina's primary on Jan. 21…. – WaPo, 3-6-12
- Romney Appears the Ohio Winner; Santorum Strong: Mitt Romney appeared to pull off a narrow victory in Ohio on Super Tuesday but lost several other states to Rick Santorum, a split verdict that overshadowed Mr. Romney's claim of collecting the most delegates and all but ensured another round of … – NYT, 3-7-12
- Romney takes 5 of 10 Super Tuesday contests: Mitt Romney won five of 10 Super Tuesday contests including crucial Ohio, advancing his claim on the Republican presidential nomination without ending questions about the breadth of his appeal within the party…. – USA Today, 3-7-12
- Super Tuesday: Romney edges Santorum in key Ohio battle: Mitt Romney has won a narrow victory over Rick Santorum in the marquee Super Tuesday battle of Ohio, according to a projection by the Associated Press. Ohio's primary proved to be the tightest battle of the 2012 Republican … – LAT, 3-7-12
- Santorum and Romney Split Victories: Mitt Romney extended his lead in delegates on Super Tuesday but voters failed to deliver a decisive victory that could have brought a swift end to the Republican presidential contest…. – WSJ, 3-6-12
- Super Tuesday impossibly close for Romney, Santorum: Both Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum have three states as they wait for results from Ohio to come in. With 91 percent of the Ohio votes tallied, Romney only has a 5000 vote lead out of the 1.1 million votes that have been counted…. – CS Monitor, 3-6-12
- Romney adds to delegate lead with Super Tuesday wins; Gingrich, Santorum slip: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney padded his lead in the race for delegates Tuesday by winning Republican presidential primaries in Virginia, Massachusetts and Vermont. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum added delegates by winning … – WaPo, 3-6-12
- GOP race takes toll on front-runner Romney: Super Tuesday confirmed anew that Mitt Romney remains the favorite to win the Republican presidential nomination, but his slow, unsteady march is coming at a steep price. As he advances toward victory in the primaries, he is losing ground in the … – WaPo, 3-6-12
- Romney gains in GOP race, but Ohio still too close: Mitt Romney won five of 10 Super Tuesday contests including crucial Ohio, advancing his claim on the Republican presidential nomination without ending questions about the breadth of his appeal within the party…. – USA Today, 3-6-12
- Romney vows to clinch the nomination: Though there was no winner yet in the crucial state of Ohio, Mitt Romney took the stage in Boston on Tuesday night to claim his victories, including his home state of Massachusetts. "There are three states now tonight under our belt and … – LAT, 3-6-12
- Romney and Santorum Locked in Ohio Battle With Much at Stake: Once again Ohio lived up to its reputation as a state of deeply divided political passions. Just a week ago, Rick Santorum had a comfortable lead in the polls here, but a victory by Mitt Romney in Michigan last week seemed to give … – NYT, 3-6-12
- Santorum: We're winning across the nation: With at least two Super Tuesday victories under his belt, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum boasted of his campaign's wide geographical appeal while taking sharp aim at his main GOP rival Mitt Romney.
"We have won in the West, the Midwest and the South, and we're ready to win across this country," Santorum said from Steubenville, Ohio.
In Tennessee, with 1,733 of 2,141 precincts reporting, Santorum carried 37 percent of the vote, while Romney had 28 percent and Newt Gingrich took 24 percent.
And with 1,778 of 1,961 precincts reporting in Oklahoma, Santorum is leading with 34 percent while Romney takes 28 percent and Gingrich 27 percent. Later in the evening, Santorum was declared the winner in the North Dakota caucuses…. – CBS News, 3-6-12
- Newt Gingrich wins Georgia, but will it help?: A resurgent Newt Gingrich, fresh off a resounding win in his home state, touted "the power of large solutions and big ideas" during a victory speech at his primary night headquarters…. – USA Today, 3-6-12
- Super Tuesday: Newt Gingrich says he's a survivor: Newt Gingrich, racking up a Super Tuesday win in the state where he launched his extraordinary political rise, predicted he would win the GOP nomination despite opposition from the nation's elites because "people power" will trump … – LAT, 3-6-12


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Re: Worried about Eclipse?
Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 4:47 am
I agree with you! These two scenes have not made me very happy. I was excited & looking forward to the clip at the MMA's but after seeing that I was disappointed. I haven't even wathced it more than once (like I did w/NM) because of how disappointed I was. I understand having to change some LITTLE things but Bella leaving Edward there was OUT OF CHARACTER. It would not happen! (I did like how she told him to stop grinnig, at least that was something Bella-like. But not as forceful as she should have been.) And then changing the confrontation over the kiss scene so Edward & Jacob are different than in the book (It's almost like they swapped their personalities there.) I'm trying to not let these two scenes bother me too much until I see the finished product (but it's hard!) Both Edward & Jacob need to be the same as they are in the books & so far it's not looking that way. If Edward comes off looking like the bad guy & Jacob a saint I will be very angry.MiVidaLoca wrote: I have to say, I haven't noticed the Jacob biasm (is that even a word LOL) in the other movies, but that one clip on MTV last night, I for sure was like, UMMMMMMM not cool, not how things would happen. I mean sure they have to change some things for time constraints of what not, I get that, but at least have it be something that would happen, and she would never leave Edward in anger to go off with Jacob, not while her and Edward were physically together and she wouldn't just be ok with Jacob taunting Edward, I mean just telling him, stop grinning Jacob we are only talking. It just wouldn't happen.
I didn't like the confrontation scene about the kiss either. Bella didn't seem that mad, Jacob seemed very remorseful and Edward seemed like he couldn't control himself.
But those 2 scenes have ticked me off.


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Bob Dylan's Biggest FansPosted April 27th, 2009
Tags: Bob Dylan, Christmas, Christmas album, eccentric behavior, fans, Lights
Only a few people in entertainment retain real icon status for me. Bob Dylan is one. And so, I thought I would use the release of his newest album as an occasion to expound on my "relationship" to Bob. Such as it is. He had a huge impact on my ideas about music and creativity when I was a kid. I was never "in love" with him, like I was with John Lennon, (he was too incomprehensible and prickly, whereas John Lennon was just the right amount of both.) but I actually snuck out in the middle of the night once when I was in high school and Dylan had just gone electric, and some how finagled a ticket to a performance he was giving at Berkeley High School.(!) Our tickets entitled my friends and I to sit on folding chairs on the apron of the stage, only a few feet from him. It was so surreal, even then, that I sometimes wonder if I made the whole thing up. Anyway, over time I have become a lot more jaded and cynical ( though I was doing a pretty good job of appearing to be both even when I was in high school) but I still think Bob Dylan is a very big deal. Read more


text: I like to know how to create a new row in the .NET datatable . I have a save button which user will click after entering data in the datagrid . once user click on the save button a new row will generate in the data table for the information user has entered in the datagrid . The databale will save the information into the database table . How do I generate new rows in the datatable . Please show me some code


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Sioux president walks out of meeting with Nebraska governor
By ASSOCIATED PRESS / RAPID CITY JOURNAL / July 8, 2013
Less than three minutes into a meeting Monday about alcohol sales in Whiteclay, the president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe walked out on Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman.
Tribal president Bryan Brewer said he left because he felt the governor has no intention of trying to address alcohol-related problems that stem from the Nebraska town that sells millions of cans of beer and borders South Dakota's officially dry Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He also accused Heineman of greeting him with a hostile tone, an allegation the governor denied.
"He has no plan. He said it's not his problem, it's my problem – solve it," Brewer said at a news conference after the meeting.
Earlier Monday, Heineman said Nebraska has no legal authority to shut down the beer stores unless they violate state law. He said the tribe should provide education and treatment to curb alcohol abuse.
"Alcohol is a legal product, and as long as the law is followed, we have no ability to shut down those places in Whiteclay unless they violated the law," Heineman said in a news conference on an unrelated subject. "That's just a fact of life."
Brewer also said he felt disrespected by the governor. Brewer said Heineman angrily threw down a press release by an anti-Whiteclay activist group that made light of the Republican governor's political contributions from the alcohol industry.
Heineman spokeswoman Jen Rae Wang denied the allegations, saying Brewer questioned the governor's integrity by insinuating he was influenced by alcohol-industry lobbyists.
Wang said the governor was willing to have an "an open, honest, and difficult" conversation about the challenges in Whiteclay, and set aside an hour in his schedule to meet with the tribal president after Brewer requested it. Others in attendance included Lt. Gov. Lavon Heidemann, the governor's chief-of-staff, a state policy adviser and the head of the Nebraska State Patrol.
"Clearly, President Brewer finds himself in a very frustrating situation," Wang said. "But the state of Nebraska is responsible for upholding the laws in the state. President Brewer faces a sometimes sad and tragic situation on a sovereign land, confronting the sovereign people that he governs."
Activists have targeted Whiteclay for well over a decade with marches, meetings with Nebraska officials and road blockades designed to stop alcohol from crossing into the reservation. But the situation has escalated in recent months. In May, vandals struck two beer trucks that were making deliveries to Whiteclay and clashed with local law enforcement officers who were keeping watch over a third shipment.
Beer sales in Whiteclay have tumbled over the last two years, according to the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission. The town, which has roughly a dozen residents, sold the equivalent of nearly 3.9 million, 12-ounce cans of beer in 2012 _ a 10 percent drop since 2011, according to the commission's year-end report.
Brewer said he also met Monday with Nebraska state Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, a well-known advocate for poor and minority populations. Brewer said he still hopes to work with state officials, including Chambers and the Nebraska Commission on Indian Affairs.
Had Monday's meeting continued, Brewer said he would have asked Heineman to help shutter Whiteclay by asking for Nebraska to restore a 50-square-mile buffer zone known as the Whiteclay extension, created in 1882 to protect Pine Ridge residents from whiskey peddlers. President Theodore Roosevelt eliminated it in 1904, which opened the land to settlement and alcohol sales.
Restoring the zone would effectively give back the northwest Nebraska land to the tribe.
The Oglala Tribal Council approved a ballot measure last month that would legalize alcohol on the reservation, which supporters say would generate tax revenue and reduce bootlegging. Opponents worry that doing so would only worsen the problem. A referendum date hasn't been set.
Frank LaMere, a Native American activist from Nebraska's Winnebago Tribe, said Heineman failed to show Brewer the respect owed to the leader of a sovereign tribe.
"I apologize for the way you were treated today," LaMere said at the news conference. "That to me is shameful."
Tags: Bryan Brewer, buffer zone, Dave Heineman, Frank LaMere, Liquor Commission, Nebraska Indian Commission, Oglala Sioux Tribe


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Updating a guidebook is fascinating, exhausting, repetitive and exhilarating work. Nothing spurs you under the skin of a place more than 40 pages of listings that need checking in detail and the thought of thousands of travellers following your footsteps and relying on your diligence. Pounding the streets in search of that new café, lifting the toilet lid on endless en suites, and sitting down to tea with tourist info man after tourist info man, it's a labour of true love that really puts you on first name terms with a place.
It also makes you hungry. Which, in retrospect, is probably why I chose to update Turkey for the Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget. The job covers the entire western half of the country, from Edirne by the Bulgarian border to Konya and Cappadocia in the centre, and promises all manner of moveable feasts along the way. Here are 12 that stood out, for better or worse.
© Alp Aksoy/Shutterstock
The first, and perhaps most memorable of all was almost elemental in its simplicity: meat in bread at Istanbul's Büyük Otogar. You realise Turkey's love affair with this combo as soon as you arrive; huge elephantine thighs of meat slowly spin on spit after spit on every corner, held tight and dearly by hungry Turks in whichever hand isn't dealing with their cigarette.
These aren't the putrid booze-soaking concoctions sold in our inner city zoos back home though; instead my chicken chunks were swept up in a metal dustpan and packed into a crusty baguette before the whole thing was dunked into the juices of the meat pile to soak up more fatty goodness. At around 2TL (85p) and washed down with a stewed plastic cup of Turkish tea from an urn in a depressing waiting room, it heralded the unspeakably exciting start of my adventure.
The following day, mezze at Sultanahmet's Palatium Café was memorable meal number two. Having twigged that much of the trip was going to revolve around two food types, I went momentarily veggie. Numerous guide books and enthusiastic forum types insist you have to try the corns on the cob on offer on most Istanbul pavements, but the soggy, insipid dildo one gruff bloke pulled from a tepid pan of water for me went straight into the Bosphorus after one bite. Thankfully the platter of hummus, dolma (stuffed peppers), cacık (cucumber with yogurt and mint) and barbunya pilaki (borlotti beans in garlic and tomato paste) was much better and made all the more memorable by the call to prayer ringing out in the background for the first time on my trip.
There are many things to say about Ankara, none of which revolve around food, but one plate of bullet hard meatballs at Zenger Paşa Konağı in the old citadel stuck in my mind (and my teeth), mostly thanks to the bizarre Ottoman ephemera that was hanging from the walls. My next key plateful came four days later in Cappadocia, that otherworldly land of cave dwellings and rock formations in Anatolia famous for its epic hot air ballooning.
Ziggy's restaurant in Ürgüp is rightfully renowned, and served an astonishing plate of pan-fried liver and local wine on an outdoor terrace overlooking the town. It was my 14th meal alone, which was fine by me as I had the company of Jeremy Seal anyway, but once the sun went down and reading became impossible, I did feel like a bit of a loner. I don't have a problem with eating alone; it's an unavoidable part of exploration and there are plenty of ways to make yourself look busy with maps, brochures and notes. It's also infinitely less depressing than the sight of those couples that sit together in silence for the whole meal. That said, having to head out on my own for supper in Konya on a budget was a dismal prospect.
The conservative, quiet and staunchly alcohol-free city is included in the guide thanks to its equidistance between Cappadocia and Antalya on the coast and the fact it's home to the tomb of the Mevlana, who founded the whirling dervish sect, but we really didn't get along.
It's a place crying out for some atmosphere, holding a begging bowl for a few scraps of some kind of vibe. The strict Muslim population are perfectly happy, and a moving sight to behold at the places of pilgrimage. It's just the secular residents who would rather be in Istanbul or Izmir, on the coast or just anywhere but here, that give it a sense of noisy desperation. Konya is a place where the stonewashed fashions are as outmoded as the Nokias; where bad boy teenagers race crap cars with fairy lights around the number plates up the main strip; and nargile (water pipe) cafés turn the music to 11 to drown out the yawning lack of conviviality.
The city is surrounded by the "breadbasket of Turkey" and from East Anglia to the Great Plains we all know what that means for culture and excitement. The meal? Dügün (soup with yoghurt, mint and rice) with a side of tap water in a dirty cup, sipped hastily in a dead restaurant as I plotted my urgent exfiltration.
Turkey's bus network is brilliant. Not only will the coaches get you from A to B for about 35TL (£12), they're also populated with boys in orange bow ties who hand out free snacks and drinks. The dubiously-named Finger Time cake bar and powdered coffee duo became a favourite as the miles clocked up, enjoyed over an episode of the unintentionally hilarious popular crime show Arka Sokaklar (Back Streets). Boasting the funniest opening credits I've ever seen and a litany of cop show clichés that made me squirm into the guy next to me even with the sound off, it was sterling entertainment.
The bus passed through snowy pines and the temperature dropped ten degrees as we navigated the mountains hiding the coast and by the time I re-opened my curtains we were by palm trees and somewhere called the West Virginia City Ranch Saloon on the way to Antalya.
Unsurprisingly, the tourist-ridden coastline boasts a smorgasbord of second-rate food, and I ate most of it. Dishwatery fish soup in Kas, grilled meat of questionable origin in Antalya, chewy kebabs in Fethiye and half-arsed burgers in Bodrum were some of the highlights. Bodrum is a funny place for eating, packed full of tables set up on the beach in pitch black darkness, a blessing once you realise the clientele of this jumped up resort.
Selcuk heralded my next dish worth writing home (or here) about. A simple lamb kebab with a side salad drenched in pomegranate dressing was served up in a flash at Mehmet & Ali Baba Kebab House. This place is guidebook gold, less for the food (which was OK) than the affable owners.
Mehmet attached himself to me long before he realised I was from Rough Guides, showing off all his press cuttings in a laminated folder before giving me a ride on his motorbike to the ruins at Ephesus. On the way he showed me some secret sites, pulling down a fence to sneak us into an area supposedly home to the cave of the Seven Sleepers, and pulled off the road to reveal his collection of scavenged coins from the area. It was my birthday, and as I sat drinking wine alone in my Izmir hotel room later that evening, I decided he was the best present I'd received in a while.
The Sea of Marmara region is a hotbed of regional delicacies, and peynir helvasi in Çanakkale is a sweet cheese dish served up across the city and much nicer than it sounds. I chewed my way through a paving slab of the stuff at midnight while chatting to the student owner about Mel Gibson and Jason Statham in far, far too much depth.
Conservative Edirne, meanwhile, is famous for oil wrestling and fried liver, and I tried not to think of the former while tucking into a huge plate of the latter. For some reason I sat down to supper at 5.30 here, which was just as well as the town shuts up shop around 9pm. Even the fountains ground to a halt and a reserved hush descended on the centre.
Back in Istanbul at the end of my trip and life was continuing as normal. In Sultanahment the simultaneous sound of four separate calls to prayer rang out while the city went about its business. The nargile bars around the bazaar were a haze of sweet smells and sparks as waiters used hairdryer bellows to fire them up. Down on the Bosphorus boats bobbed violently in the water as vendors passed out fresh fish sandwiches. Three women in burkas at a Galata Bridge restaurant tapped at their iPhones while the sun fell behind a minaret. Up on Istikal Avenue the police were tossing tear gas at demonstrators among the Saturday shoppers, and I got caught up in the crossfire.
There was time for one last supper, and it was going to be a carnivorous blowout at a Rough Guide recommendation from the RG to Istanbul. In fact, Terry Richardson's evocative writing had me earmarking this place back in London:
"Watch master grillsman Kenan cook tortilla-style bread over his basement charcoal grill, smear it with olive oil, sprinkle with pepper flakes, thyme and salt, then pop it back on the grill to finish. This bread is used as the 'plate' to serve an astonishing array of kebabs and grilled meat to a loyal Turkish clientele."
It didn't disappoint. Surrounded by raki-befuddled locals I worked through the best meal of my trip: numerous fresh meze dishes followed by a plate of beef grilled medium with a touch of pink and accompanied by a red onion and coriander garnish, fresh aubergine and tomatoes. Kenan was passing taco-sized parcels to the regulars between courses.
Back home in London, as I sat down to Iskender kebab in Dalston, I realised a couple of things. That travel cliché about travel opening your eyes is a cliché for a reason. I've since realised my local dry cleaner is a Galatasary supporter and the man in the nearby deli is from Ankara. The word "Akdeniz" on numerous north London shops is no longer a mystery; it means "Mediterranean" (literally "white sea"). Mostly importantly though, it dawned on me that I've become a massive kebab bore.
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Top image © Shanti Hesse/Shutterstock


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The E100 Challenge was a tremendous success. I hoped at the beginning that at least a small group of people would become more serious about reading the scriptures and I wasn't disappointed. Some people opened up the Bible who had never read it before."Rev. David Bennett,
Ballston Spa,
New York


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Tuna London Broil With Wasabi Cream Saucefrom Steven Raichlen
Method: direct grilling
Serves: 8 as an appetizer, 4 as a main course
2 teaspoons untoasted sesame seeds
2 teaspoons wasabi powder
2 teaspoons cracked black peppercorns
2 teaspoons garlic salt
1-1/2 pounds tuna loin, or 4 tuna steaks (each about 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick and 6 to 8 ounces)
2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil Wasabi Cream Sauce (recipe follows)
Sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds, or black sesame seeds, for serving (optional)
1. Make the rub: Place the untoasted sesame seeds, wasabi powder, peppercorns, and garlic salt in a spice mill or coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder. Or place them in a mortar, and using a pestle, grind them to a fine powder.
- Place the wasabi in a nonreactive mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir to form a thick paste. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, and soy sauce, and whisk to mix. The mixture should be thick but pourable. If necessary, thin with a little more water. The Wasabi Cream Sauce tastes best when it is freshly made.
2. Trim any skin or dark or bloody spots off the tuna. Rinse the tuna under cold running water, then blot it dry with paper towels. Place the tuna in a baking dish. Sprinkle the rub all over the tuna on both sides, patting it onto the fish with your fingertips. Drizzle the sesame oil over the tuna and rub it on with your fingertips. Let the tuna marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high.
4. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Place the tuna on the hot grate and grill until cooked to taste. Grill tuna loin until the outside is nicely seared, 1 to 2 minutes per side (4 to 8 minutes in all) turning the loin with tongs. Grill tuna steaks for about 2 minutes per side for rare; 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare; 4 to 6 minutes per side for medium, rotating each steak a quarter turn halfway through grilling on each side to create an attractive crosshatch of grill marks. Test for doneness using the poke method: Rare tuna will be quite soft, with just a little resistance at the surface; medium-rare tuna will be gently yielding; and medium tuna will be firm.
5. Transfer the grilled tuna to a cutting board and let it rest for 2 minutes. Carve tuna steaks into broad, thin slices, holding the knife at a 45 degree angle to the top of the fish. Carve tuna loin crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick medallions. Fan out the tuna slices on a platter or plates. Squirt zigzags of Wasabi Cream Sauce over the tuna, top with the scallions and toasted or black sesame seeds.
Wasabi Cream Sauce
Yield: Makes about 1 cup
1 to 2 tablespoons wasabi powder
1/2 cup mayonnaise (preferably Hellmann's)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce